Pregnancy and the Wildmage
by Her Ghost Eyes
Summary: Daine hardly ever thought she'd fall in love, let alone get herself pregnant! This is a short story about Daine and her tid-bit unusual journey with pregnancy and motherhood. Because, after all, every female has a maternal side. Humor/Romance. Four-shot.
1. Confessions and Constellations

**A/N: **Well, this is my second T.M. fic. They're quite fun actually. I'm used to writing first-person Beka Cooper, and I find that third person is quite easier. I'd love to know what you think - constructive critism or otherwise - because this is my first Immortals (Daine/Numair) fic.

**Summary: **Daine hardly ever thought she'd fall in love, let alone get herself pregnant! This is a short story about Daine and her tid-bit unusual journey with pregnancy. Humour/Romance.

**Disclaimer: **Tamora Piece owns her characters and her world, etc. Most of this is hers.

**Chapter 1: **Confessions and Constellations

The girl sat alone in the forest, looking up at the sky. All around her, a storm raged, uprooting trees and pulling at her untamed smoky brown curls. She got up and walked further into the underbrush, plunging herself into darkness, still watching the sky with sharp attention. Silver light gathered around her hand that clutched the claw that swung on her chest – a gift from her friend, the badger god, to keep track of her.

It had been two years since Veralidaine Sarrasri's ordeal with the gods and she was now a stunning young woman. Smoky brown curls framed a lightly tanned face; blue-grey eyes remained trained on the constellations of stars above her. To any other, she could have just been star-gazing…but she was truly waiting for something, or, to be more precise, some_one_. She was patiently waiting for the night-sky to clear and that familiar image to appear. When the silver mist near her materialized, though, it still startled and delighted the girl both to see her mother.

"Ma!" she cried in joy, flinging herself into the goddess's arms. "It's so good to see you. I never got to thank you for my birthday present…I missed you so much, ma."

Daine's mother smiled. "I missed you too, darling." She laughed. "Daine, you've grown so much. I'm so proud of you, more than you could know. But, don't forget, you _did _call me here for a reason." She looked knowingly down at her daughter, who blushed darkly.

"It's just – I mean – Numair's still asleep. I need to talk to you."

Sarra smiled down at her daughter and pressed a finger to her lips. "I'm honoured, Daine," she whispered. "What do you need?"

"I – a –" Though her mother had thought it not possible, Daine's face went another, darker, shade scarlet. "I'm pregnant."

Sarra raised an eyebrow sceptically. "Did you not use that charm I gave you?"

"Yes, I did!" Daine cried defensively. "I trust you made the charm great 'n' all, but I think Kitten nicked it when I was bathing."

Sarra smiled down at her daughter and held out a hand. Daine pulled off the necklace that held the charm and passed it to her mother. Sarra analyzed the ruby-coloured charm before confirming the dreaded news.

"It's specially attuned to you, youngling." Tears sprouted from the goddess's eyes. "It doesn't lie. Oh, I'm going to have grandchildren! How I wish I could be alive to be able to _really _help you with everything. I feel so – useless."

Daine looked up at her mother, much to her embarrassment feeling tears well up in her own blue-grey irises. "It's not your fault, Ma." She attempted a smile. "I can still see you, at least. That's more than most can say. I will call on you, when it's time."

Sarra tried a watery smile. "I love you, Daine. If I could go back and not die, I would."

Daine grinned. "Oh, but, Ma, how would I get to learn so much, then? Things happened as they should. I wish you could be here, alive, but we can't deny fate." She made a face. "_Or _the gods."

"Off you go, then," Sarra ordered, sounding very motherly. "You have friends waiting for you back at the palace." Hugging her mother one last time and kissing her on the cheek, Daine shape-changed into a golden eagle, and vanished into the sky.

When she arrived in the dining hall just on time, Daine was greeted by a disgruntled Kitten – evidently annoyed because Daine hadn't taken the dragonling with her – and a tired-looking Numair. She quickly tucked the chain away and sat down.

"Where've _you _been?" Alanna asked, looking over Daine's sodden clothes, and tangled hair – well, more tangled than normal. "You look like you just got rammed by a herd of horses."

Daine shrugged, and went back to pushing her chicken around the plate. "I just went for a walk, is all."

Alanna raised an eyebrow. "Your appetite hasn't been very good lately," she said worriedly. "Are you sick? I heard you –" Suddenly, she cut off, her eyes glinting with understanding.

"Oh, Daine! _You're –_!"

Daine glared at her, glancing anxiously at the curious Numair out the corner of her eye. "He doesn't know yet, Alanna!" she hissed. "Don't –"

"Why not?" The Lioness said, looking puzzled.

"Because he might leave me," whispered Daine, looking down, tears welling up in her eyes. "Or he might –"

Alanna thrust the girl's chin up gently, but firmly, with one hand. "You _know_ Numair would never do that."

"Daine?" Numair looked anxiously at her over the table. "Are you alright?"

Alanna looked pointedly at Daine. The young woman rolled her eyes, her smoky brown hair bouncing, her blue-grey eyes nervous.

"Odd's Bobs, Alanna! Okay! Numair, I have something to tell you." Daine took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."


	2. Canoodling with Numair Salmalín

**A/N: **Here's chapter 2! Thank you for reviewing. Two reviews is still reasonable. Please take the time to review. I love to know what you think. This chapter is a few weeks after Daine tells Numair that she's pregnant. This story'll be a series of one-shots, I suppose, about their 'adventures'. And no, I do not mean that in a wrong way. Much. I dearly hope you enjoy XD

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything is evident as Tamora Pierce's; characters, worlds, etc.,etc.

**Chapter 2: **Canoodling with Numair Salmalín.

"NO!" Daine yelled, ducking as various undergarments were thrown her way. She dodged an unusual-looking lace piece, and swung up her bow. Carefully aiming, she pinned both the back of Alanna's and Onua's shirts to the wall with a precise shot. "I do _not _want to 'spice up my sex life', thank you very much!"

Alanna yanked the arrow out of her clothing and shoved it into Daine's quiver. "Aw, don't be such a spoiled sport, Daine," the Lioness complained. "Now you're pregnant, that means you don't need to wear your necklace, and you can be more..._inventive._"

"Now, Daine, be a nice little Wildmage and tell us what Numair likes, so we can see what we have to work with." Onua snorted. "It helps _us, _with _our _lives."

"That," the young woman said with a shudder, "is absolutely disgusting. You're not even involved with someone, Onua!"

"Or so you know," the horsemistress said wickedly.

Alanna grinned. "She's sharing Stefan's horse loft, 'cause her _bed broke. _Have you heard a worse excuse? I certainly haven't." She evidently rethought that, smirking at Daine, "Well, except from _you._"

"What if I told you we haven't had sex yet?" Daine said desperately. Both women stared at her with raised eyebrows.

It was Onua who said, "Daine, you're _pregnant." _

She winced. "Thanks for reminding me," the girl muttered. "You just _had _to, didn't you?"

"Yes," Alanna and Onua said together. Daine rolled her eyes.

"Okay, so, what does he like?" Alanna said, as if she was asking whether Numair preferred eggs or bacon.

Daine blushed darkly. "Well, he..." she swallowed. "I can't do this!"

Onua said soothingly, "Of course you can. You've done much worse."

"I wouldn't be so sure."

Alanna sighed exasperatedly. "Okay. We'll help you, then. Does he like it when you...you know...be extra nice? Give _him _more attention?"

Daine pressed her lips firmly together, going even more scarlet than before. Even Kitten was listening now, and Zek, with curious expressions.

"_Daine."_

She sighed. "Yes."

"Yes, he does like it?" Onua said. "Hm. Interesting – maybe it's something to do with his dominant side, hence the wide age gap."

Daine muttered something unintelligible under her breath.

They heard footsteps coming down the corridor. Daine motioned quickly for Alanna and Onua to pick up the undergarments and go in the closet. They amusedly obeyed, giggling like teenagers.

He was outside the door now. Numair opened the door, staring, puzzled, at the flustered looking Daine. "Are you okay?"

Daine nodded, a little too eagerly. "Of course," she replied tightly.

"Well." Numair walked up and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her passionately, moaning against her lips.

There was a snort from the closet. Daine wished more than ever that she could just disappear.

_N__o, no, no, don't look in the..._

Much to her dismay, he immediately went and threw open the door to the closet, revealing two very innocent-looking women.

"What a pleasure to see you," Numair remarked dryly. "May I ask _what _exactly we're doing here?"

"Why, Numair, my dear," Alanna said, standing and holding up a lacy piece of cloth. "We were just...borrowing some of Daine's...leisurely clothing!"

Daine buried her face in her hands, muttering, "Kill me."

The women burst out laughing. Daine looked up, anger flaring throughout her, her magic escaping her. A pack of hunting dogs burst through the bedroom door, surrounding Daine and barking and growling at Onua, Alanna, and, bless him, a very confused and embarrassed-looking Numair Salmalín.

They abruptly stopped their laughter.

"Why do you have to be such dung-eating, pox-rotted, gods-cursed bitches!" Daine yelled and stormed off, her smoky brown curls flying, Zek and Kitten following her – but not after throwing the horsemistress and Lioness extremely dirty looks.

"She's _pregnant,_" Numair said, grinning in spite of himself. "You don't mess with a pregnant Wildmage."


	3. The Brave Wildmage's Daughter

**A/N: **Thank you so much for all the love! I can't thank you enough.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Daine, or Numair, or Alanna, or…well, you get the picture. My name is neither Tamora nor Pierce, thus I do not own the characters or world, or whatever else is Tammy's.

**Chapter 3: **The Brave Wildmage's Daughter

Daine had taken a lot the last few years; she'd had winged-horses fly at her, teeth bared, angry dragons and griffins attack her and her family, Stormwings yell profanities and promise to kill her, and then _try_…

This was worse than _any _of those things. It didn't help that they were in a fort, miles from home, miles from her best friends who she would normally be able to discuss it with.

"If this little shape-changer does not stop _shape-changing_, I will officially go _mad,_" she fumed as she walked into her and Numair's room. One extra annoying thing was the fact that she couldn't even spend some 'quality' time with Numair, because he could hardly mate a _horse_ (which was what, unfortunately, her bottom half was at that moment.)

"Daine, calm," Numair whispered in her ear, closing the door behind her, and pulling Daine to him, careful to avoid her steel hooves.

"I'm sorry," she whispered softly, burying her face in his shoulder. She felt Numair laugh.

"What on earth for?"

"For _this,_" she motioned to her horse's lower half, and couldn't help but laugh. "Well, at least the baby is due soon."

Numair smiled. "And then I can have you back," he kissed down her neck, his hand sliding down her side.

"We'll have a little shape-changer to look after her, though," she reminded him absently, grabbing him and kissing him hard on the lips. He wrapped his arms around her, just as the baby changed into a dove.

"You have _got _to be kidding me!" Daine yelled as she changed her rear end into a dove's. And then there was a sharp pain, and she automatically fell into her human form again. She screamed and fell back onto the bed, feeling as if her own rear end was being torn apart.

Silver fire glinted out the corner of her eye and Sarra ran over to her.

"She's having the baby, you dolt!" she yelled at Numair, who was staring in horror.

He wiped his hand across his forehead and turned to see Daine's eyes roll up in her head, and a tiny human child suddenly appeared in the Goddess's outstretched arms.

***

Daine slumped back into the bed for the millionth time that night and fell asleep after feeding Sarralyn. When she awoke, her daughter was nowhere to be seen, but Numair stood at her side. He passed her a warm tea.

"You gave me a frightful scare," he said. "I've never had a wife go into labour before."

Daine glared at him. "Damn right, you shouldn't have." She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him on top of her. "It's nice to have somebody else looking after her. I still worry, but I'm pretty sure she can look after herself." She made a face. "Gods, what she going to be like as a teenager?"

Neither of them wanted to think.

"I thought mothers don't like to let their child out of their sight," Numair mused.

She shrugged. "Of course I don't," she said, sipping her tea. "But…well, it's a relief to have some rest. And I'm sort of scared of her."

Numair frowned. "How come?"  
"I'm guessing you've never had a baby," Daine said wryly. "You should try it. It's a huge responsibility. Plus, it hurts – a _lot. _Not to count afterwards, feeding, having to take your shirt off every time –"

Numair laughed and put a finger over her lips. "I see."

He reached over and tugged off the loose nightdress that Sarra had placed on the young woman. He kissed her passionately. Daine went to pull off his breeches…  
"Daine, can we come in?"

Numair, acting automatically, placed an invisibility spell on himself and threw himself under Daine's bed covers. Daine pulled them up to cover herself.

The door opened. Alanna, Raoul, and Sarra stood at the door. Daine's mother was not there, technically, in a material form, but she was there, almost like a ghost. Because this was the type of thing she cared for, pregnancies. And shape-shifting babies.

"I – er –" Raoul backed away, "– I'll leave you ladies to it!"

Apparently, neither Alanna nor Sarra cared about the Daine's unclothed state. The lady knight bounced in and hugged Daine, as did Sarra, both evidently ignorant to the girl's bare condition.

Alanna and Sarra were evidently ignorant of the fact that there was an invisible breeches-less mage under Daine's bed covers, too, as they began to talk about Sarralyn.

She felt Numair move under the covers. It was a very _good_ invisibility spell, Daine saw. Neither of the girl's companions noticed the movement of the bedcovers.

There was a cool hand on one of her thigh. It was all Daine could do not to jump out of her skin. The hand moved down that leg, then up, and then lingered precariously between her legs. She bit down on her lip, _hard._

"Daine, darling, do you want to see Sarralyn again? She's been crying. I think she misses you."

Daine pretended to smile tiredly. "I guess I should, but –"

"Oh, yes, of course you're tired. I'll bring her in the morning."

"Thanks, ma'," Daine said softly. Numair's hand pushed away the material of her loincloth and started doing…well; let's just say that _naughty things_ would be an understatement.

"Oh, yeah, and, Daine?" Alanna said, winking, as she followed Sarra out. "We know you've got Numair under there." And with that, she left, grinning.

Daine wished, for the millionth time, that she had the power to vanish into thin air.


	4. Sarralyn's In Love

**A/N: **Hello! My apologies for going so fast-forward in time. But this was stuck in my head, and I was afeared that it would vanish if I didn't write it down. I told you this is a collection of one-shots – so, that means we can jump around in time…right? Okay. I'll shut up. Read on!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything that is – obviously – Tamora Pierce's. Much to my dismay.

**Chapter 4: **Sarralyn's In Love

_14 years later_

"Numair." Daine looked at her husband with a half worried, half amused expression on her face. "Are you okay?" Numair looked rather annoyed.

"I can't find Sarralyn."

Daine raised her eyebrows sceptically at him and reached out with her wild magic. She felt her daughter somewhere in the forest, but she was not alone. She was not with Rikash, her eight year old brother, either. She was with a boy.

The woman stifled a groan. How would she cover this up from Numair? He would be livid. Daine, of course, understood the fourteen year old mostly. Her husband, on the other hand, did not.

He was, after all, a man.

"She's just…in the forest," Daine said with a smile. "Playing." There. That wasn't lying. Out the corner of her eye, she saw Kitten grin all very dragonly. Over the last few years, she had learnt language deftly. It had been Tkaa, they supposed. His influence had been huge on the dragon, and the quickness of Kitten's learning was amazing. It was great, most of the time. Then there were those times where it wasn't…

This was one of those times.

– _Funny – _the dragonet whistled. _– I think that " playing" is not entirely right – _

Daine glared at Kitten. "Don't, you menace," she snapped in a whisper, too quiet for Numair to hear. But, damn him, he did, and frowned.

"What's wrong? Where is she? Sarralyn?" He sounded both worried and confused.

"Nowhere…she's…nowhere…" Daine hissed, clamping her hands over Kitten's muzzle. The dragon whistled in amusement and rose up on her hind paws, almost as if to get a better view of the scene. She snickered.

"So, Numair," Daine said conversationally, "why don't we go down and grab lunch? I'm sure Sarri will be back soon…"

Numair narrowed his eyes. "What is it, Daine?" Daine raised her eyebrows at him. Black fire gathered around his hands and then vanished as his expression turned distraught.

"No!" he gasped. "She is _way _too young. Don't even _try _to argue –"

"Any younger than I was, when I spent time with Perin, Numair?" Daine challenged. "And how about Aly? Before she met Nawat, she was always after the boys. And Alanna? Onua? I'm sure they all spent time with boys –"

"It's my job to make her love life hell, Daine," the mage whined. He honestly looked pitiful, all wide eyes and pouted lips. Daine rolled her blue-grey eyes at him.

"No."

"But –"

"No."

"Just –"

Daine crushed her lips to his, for the pure point of shutting him up as much as kissing him.

***

At dinner that night, Daine and Numair both learnt more about Sarralyn's lover – from Sarralyn herself. His name was Jaspa, he was Crián, and had some wild magic with horses. It was not much, Sarralyn said, but it was enough. He was a lovely boy. Her parents would love him.

Numair's opinion differed somewhat.

"Hello, _Jaspa_," Numair greeted evilly as Sarralyn and her boyfriend entered. He was the picture of pure malevolence, truly, with his narrowed eyes and tightened lips. He added, "Have you had sex with my daughter?"

Jaspa was tall, blonde, with honey-coloured eyes. He wore khaki breeches, a loose shirt, and black boots. He reminded Daine very much of herself at that age, looking confused and excited both.

"Ignore him," Daine advised coolly. "We all do." She said it as her daughter Sarralyn seemed pretty incapable of answering. This was a first, Daine had to admit. The girl was very stubborn, like her mother, and very strong-willed.

Jaspa smiled at Daine and then looked at Numair respectfully. "Nossir."

"Really?" Numair rocked back on his heels. "That's interesting." He looked interested, too. Daine rolled her eyes, as did Kitten. Jaspa eyed the dragon with interest, knelt down with no fear, and held out his hand. Kitten waddled up to him and jumped into his arms. He laughed and fell backwards, Kitten mauling him with licks.

"Get up, Kit," Sarralyn scolded, but she was grinning. "You're a dragon, not a hound!"

Jaspa laughed and got up, holding the dragonet still. She nuzzled into him. Sarralyn looked so green with envy it was hilarious.

"Well." Daine was smirking at her husband, who was scowling at Jaspa, who was smiling at Sarralyn, who was frowning down at Kitten. "Kit likes you. I like you. Numair doesn't like you, but that's his way. Plus, Sarri loves –" At Sarralyn's blush, Daine grinned once again. "– likes you. She's right, most of the time."

"Except that time she said the sky is blue because the gods have too much sewer water in the divine realms and they throw it out. But because they've such a cleansed world the water is pure blue, and when the sky turns other colours, its because the gods' water isn't…"

Jaspa let out a surprised laugh as Numair carried on. Daine grinned. Sarralyn rolled her eyes and scowled but her heart wasn't in it. She went and wrapped her arms around Jaspa as they settled around the fire to listen to Numair tell embarrassing stories at their daughter's expense.

Maybe this won't be so bad, Daine thought as she watched the family. She smiled. Poor Numair will get lonely, him being the only one without wild magic.

Kitten crawled into Daine's lap and they watched as Numair and Jaspa laughed wholeheartedly with curiosity.

She would never understand men.


End file.
